The Rules She Lives By
by authorjazmyne
Summary: Brennan/Angela femslash (Not your thing, don't read!) "To say Angela Montenegro lived life with a set of rules in mind wouldn't exactly be correct. Rules and function was more Temperance Brennan's style ... Despite that, there were still a few rules that Angela would swear up and down existed." Rated M just in case.


Pairing: Brennan/Angela

A/N: Well, I've never written anything for these two before. I'm not sure I quite have either of their characters right, but I've been inspired by an amazing writer, _Fl0urished. _Awhile back I decided I wanted to write a story for Brennan/Angela, but went against it. After finding out it's her birthday... Well, this happened.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

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To say Angela Montenegro lived life with a set of rules in mind wouldn't exactly be correct. Rules and function was more Temperance Brennan's style. Spontaneous and fun was the life Angela lived, and the one that suited her best. She was, as she liked to put it, a good time girl. Despite that, there were still a few rules that Angela would swear up and down existed. Those rules played through her mind as she sat down on the king-sized bed and looked down at a sleeping Brennan.

_Stage 1: Spend the night_

"It's getting late," Brennan said in her matter-of-fact way, her eyes glancing up towards the clock quickly.

"Oh," Angela said, putting some space between them on the sofa. When had she ended up with her legs thrown over Brennan's? "I guess we got carried away."

Brennan answered in typical Brennan form, the anthropological reasoning behind why she enjoyed their night so much. Explaining the proven reasons for their need to converse, informing her of the primitive history involved.

"Gossiping, honey. We just call it gossiping." Angela laughed softly. "Even when you say things in your mumbo jumbo science talk you still sound really..." Angela trailed off, not finishing her sentence as she realized what she was about to say.

It was always the same thing since she laid eyes on her; she'd never told her, but there was something she found sexy about Brennan's passion for her work and how incredibly smart the woman was. She bit her lip and cast her eyes downward, avoiding the questioning look she knew her sudden pause had warranted.

Brennan furrowed her brow. "Really what?"

Angela shook her head, waving it off. "Forget it. I should get going. Like you said, it's getting pretty late."

As Angela quickly got up and gathered her things, Brennan went over the words she had spoken in her mind to see what she had said to cause the quick shift in Angela's mood. She stood up with her arms folded under chest and looked at Angela when she couldn't figure it out on her own. "Did I say something?" Temperance wondered aloud.

"Huh? What was that?" Angela mumbled and turned.

"You're obviously upset about something, and if it's something I did-"

"Sweetie, don't worry about it." Angela made the mistake of looking up at Brennan, the look in piercing eyes making her walk back over to the space in front of the sofa where Temperance was still standing. "Really, you did nothing," she assured her with a small smile and a lingering hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"You sure you're fine?" Brennan asked, her voice full of concern. Angela thought to herself that Temperance wouldn't be so concerned if she knew that the only thing that was wrong was the attraction she felt for the forensic anthropologist. It was what led to all of the awkward moments that seemed to be occurring more frequently between the two.

Angela was going to say she was fine, nod and then leave. Except she couldn't bring her eyes from Brennan's lips; she couldn't stop imagining how soft they would be if she were to finally lean forward and kiss her. "Oh, what the heck," she mumbled before grasping Brennan's face and pulling her to her mouth. She kissed her just long enough to make Brennan let out a little sound in the back of her throat. Angela pulled back with wide eyes, worried that she had finally crossed the line.

Brennan stared at Angela for a moment, her eyes a little wider than Angela had ever seen them. Angela wasn't sure if she should run or stay, apologize or continue holding her breath. Surely she would have to start breathing at some point. Or, maybe if she held her breath long enough she would faint. Even fainting seemed less painful than waiting for Brennan to react.

Brennan licked her lips slowly before she cleared her throat. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wh-what?"

"I said I'll see you tomorrow," Brennan said again, same calm tone.

Angela shook her head, both internally and physically. "I kissed you. I kissed you and then you say that you'll see me tomorrow."

"Yes," Brennan said, sounding more like she was asking a question than stating something. "Why are you listing facts? It just happened, Angela. I am aware that you kissed me and-"

"Because people don't just kiss their best friend and expect them to just say goodnight."

"Oh," Brennan said before she leaned in, this time being the one that initiated the kiss.

Angela's heart skipped a beat as Brennan's soft lips moved against her own, tenderly kissing her. This wasn't what she had in mind, but it was much better. She tilted her head and let Temperance deepen the kiss, her tongue tracing her bottom lip before she opened her mouth to her, granting her the access she desired. There was a low moan from one of them, but from whom she wasn't exactly sure. Right when Angela started really enjoying the kiss, just when Temperance's tongue started to tangle with her, the kiss was ending.

Angela's breath came with a rush, her eyes opening to look at the smiling scientist. "What was that for?" Angela breathed, stuck between being confused and pleasantly surprised by how good of a kisser Temperance was.

"You said that you expected more than a goodnight. I assumed you were implying that you wanted me to kiss you back." The smile on Brennan's lips started to fade, doubt in her eyes. "Was I wrong to-" Angela started to kiss her again, just because she could and Brennan's mouth tasted delicious. Temperance laughed against her mouth and pulled back. "I thought you were leaving?"

Angela looked up into Brennan's eyes. "I will if you want me to," she said, still a little unsure. Angela found herself pleasantly surprised again that night when Brennan smiled and started kissing her again, right on her lips through the soft sound of her laughter. "If you're going to keep kissing me, you won't be able to get rid of me, Sweetie," Angela mumbled.

"I was hoping you would say that," Brennan admitted.

"Really?" Angela asked.

She received her answer in the form of a deep kiss that soon migrated from her lips to her neck and other sensitive places on her body. Clothes were shed along the way as they traveled to the bedroom, and the night was spent with their bodies melding together in a way neither of them had really expected to happen when the night started. While not expected, it was still an extraordinary feeling they experienced together.

_Stage 2: Spend the weekend_

"You forgot, didn't you?" Angela mumbled as she quickly brushed her lips against the side of Brennan's neck.

"Ange," Brennan warned, but the sound of her laughing covered up the warning tone she had tried to use. The forensic anthropologist squirmed and smiled, turning around so they were facing each other. "Of course I didn't forget."

"But..." Angela said with a knowing tilt to her head, cocking her hip out as she rested her right hand on it. "You're still looking at," she took a quick glance at the photographs of Brennan had been going through, "skeletal remains. If you remembered our plans to spend the weekend together, you wouldn't be here still. You would be waiting for me at your apartment, that way I could surprise you with what I picked up when I went shopping yesterday. You would be doing that, not looking at pictures of bones."

The forensic anthropologist put her hands in her blue lab coat and straightened her back, her smile turning into a frown. "Angela, these people have families, families that deserve to know what happened to them. I can tell them what happened." She shook her head and corrected herself. "I will find the truth and tell them. I'm not going to put my responsibilities aside for sex, and I'm honestly shocked that you think I would."

"I'm sorry," Angela told her sincerely with an audible sigh. "But for the record," she said as she wrapped her arms around the other woman, "it's not just about the sex. I miss you, Bren, and I was looking forward to getting a little time with you that wasn't rushed or interrupted like the last few weeks have been."

Brennan finally returned the hug. "We'll have this weekend together," she said surely. "I just need time to finish what I'm working on first," she added as she pulled away.

Angela brushed errant strands of Brennan's hair away and tucked it behind her ear. "All right," she agreed. "Can I help with anything?"

"Is this your way of trying to rush me? Because I don't like being-"

Angela kissed her lightly to stop her from speaking. "This is me spending time with you however I can get it." She started walking to Brennan's desk, shedding her jacket because she knew she would be there awhile. "But it doesn't hurt that the faster you finish, the faster we can get outta here," she added with a wink. "The weekend awaits," she said cheerfully.

Brennan laughed softly. "Yes, it does," she agreed more to herself than to the other woman.

_Stage 3: Exchange keys_

Angela didn't know what made her get the key copied; but she had. Two months it had been. Brennan and Angela had no other label than best friends. At first it was just easy, casual sex after that night she kissed her. There weren't supposed to be any new feelings arising, no needs needing to be satisfied other than the carnal ones, nor were there supposed to be changes in their daily routine (of course, not including the sex part). Yet, she sat with a key for an hour, thinking about how Brennan would react when she gave it to her.

The sound of Angela's doorbell ringing broke her from her reverie. On bare feet she padded to the door, the cold metal clutched in her sweaty palm. Angela made quick work of the locks and opened the door. Brennan, weekend bag and takeout in separate hands, smiled at Angela as a greeting.

Brennan took a step forward, ready to come in, but Angela held up her hand to stop her. "Wait," she said hastily. She looked over the confused woman's shoulder to make sure they were alone and then leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips.

Brennan smiled. "Hey," Brennan said against her lips, trying to push them inside, but once again was stopped by Angela's hand against her stomach. "What's going on?"

Angela stepped back and tried to smile, but the feeling of Brennan possibly rejecting her somehow was making it hard to do anything other than bite the inside of her cheeks. She decided to get it over with, holding out her hand to Brennan, not saying anything as the silver key was displayed to her.

Brennan's eyes zeroed in on the key. "That's a key," Brennan stated.

"Yes," Angela said.

"Why are you holding a key out to me, Ange?"

Angela looked down to the ground, soundly finding the hot pink polish on her toenails more interesting than anything else in the room.

"Are you giving me the key?" Brennan asked quietly.

Angela finally stepped aside and let Temperance in, taking the food from her and leading them to the kitchen, the key still in her hand. "Do you want the key? I've never really been too good at this, but-"

"Yes," Brennan said surely, retrieving wine glasses once they were in the small kitchen.

"Wait, what? You want the key?" Angela questioned, leaning against the refrigerator.

Temperance smiled slowly as she put the glasses down and turned to her. "Why wouldn't I? It only makes sense that I have a key to your place. I've spent every other weekend here these past few months. I also come late at night during the workdays, and it would save us both time if I could just let myself in and you didn't have to wait at work for me to finish what I'm doing. You could head home, and I could join you at a time better suited for my schedule."

Angela slid the key against the surface of the counter wordlessly and then went to get the wine from the cabinet. She didn't know what to say. Not for the first time, Brennan had left her speechless.

Brennan smiled as she added the key to her key ring. "I think proper protocol requires that I give you a key to my place now."

"Only if you want to. You don't have to give me a key just because I gave you one."

"No," Brennan said as she looked over her shoulder. "I think I want you to have one. While it is only fair, so that should be reason enough, I also want you to feel like you can come over when you like."

Angela felt herself smile as she met Brennan's gaze. "Well, in that case..." Angela closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around Brennan from behind. "I'll save you a spot on my keychain," she whispered with a smile before nuzzling into the side of Temperance's neck, content with the feeling of warmth spreading throughout her.

_Stage 4: Sexy weekend getaway_

"You need a vacation," Angela murmured, her legs wrapped around Brennan's naked body, her lips dropping random kisses across her shoulders. Her skin tasted salty from her sweat, a taste that lingered on Angela's lips with each and every carefully placed nibble and kiss on Brennan's body.

Temperance sighed and moved her hair off her shoulder, bending further down, silently letting Angela know she wanted her to continue. "Guatemala-"

"Nu-uh," Angela interrupted, looking over Brennan's shoulder and into the mirror that was in front of them. "Guatemala wasn't a vacation, Sweetie. I mean somewhere like Jamaica, Hawaii, Cancun... Digging up skeletons isn't a vacation. Somewhere where there's sand, drinks by the ocean, and bikinis - now that's a vacation"

Brennan held Angela's gaze in the mirror for another moment before she turned and pressed a kiss to the artist's lips. A chaste, tender sign of appreciation. "I know this is your way of thinking of what's best for me. You're showing that you care," she said slowly. Brennan looked up into Angela's eyes before she continued. "While I might not agree with you, I appreciate that you're thinking about what's good for me."

Angela let her hand caress the side of Brennan's body, her fingertips making goosebumps appear as she brushed over the other woman's ribs. "Fine," she whispered. "Don't think about it that way."

Brennan's eyes fell shut as Angela's hand crept upwards, lightly teasing the underside of her breast. "Then how should I think about it?" she asked huskily, sharply inhaling.

Angela moved her mouth to Temperance's ear, her warm breath adding to the pleasure she knew she was building in the other woman. "Think about it as an opportunity," she whispered before letting her lips graze the shell of Brennan's ear, eliciting an almost inaudible groan.

Temperance licked her drying lips, undoubtedly the only part of her body that was going dry. "An opportunity?"

Angela nodded, a few tendrils of her hair dusting Brennan's rapidly heating skin. "Think about it as a chance for us to spend all weekend in bed," she continued in the same low tone. When Brennan shivered, Angela smirked and brought her other hand up the neglected side of Brennan's body, greedily palming her breasts as they both moaned a little. "Doing absolutely nothing other than having hot," _a gentle scrape of her teeth against Brennan's ear,_ "passionate," _a throaty moan that started with Angela and ended with Temperance,_ "sweaty sex."

And when Brennan quickly turned around and kissed her hungrily, pushing her back against the pillows, Angela knew that was Brennan's way of caving. A sexy weekend was exactly what they needed.

_Stage 5: Extended vacation _

New York City was beautiful. Angela's eyes lit up almost as bright as the lights in Times Square as they went everywhere on the list they had put together of must-see places. The art, the food, and the culture of the city was something Angela had always wanted to experience and take in fully. A week didn't seem like enough. But the feeling that Angela enjoyed the most was the one that slowly started in her chest and made her heart pound erratically when Brennan laced their fingers together and kissed the back of her neck, pointing to something in the far distance as they stood on the Brooklyn Bridge. Sharing the moment with Temperance was what made the trip so incredible.

_Stage 6: Move in together_

Angela sighed to herself as she crawled over Brennan's body and lied down beside her. Her forensic anthropologist girlfriend instantly pulled her closer, her nose nuzzling at the crook of her neck. Angela's heart fluttered in her chest, her smile growing as she threw her leg over Brennan's legs and slid her hand under the thin tank top she was wearing.

Angela was still nervous, her heart pitter-pattering away in her chest. But there was something soothing and relaxing about having Brennan cuddling against her like this. There was a vulnerability that Brennan couldn't hide when she was asleep, and that vulnerability made Angela believe that perhaps Brennan would be just as cautious when jumping into the next stage of their relationship.

Angela was startled when she felt Brennan's lips moving against her neck. "Why aren't you sleeping?" Brennan mumbled.

"Can't sleep," she replied, continuing with the slow circles she was creating with her fingers over Temperance's spine.

"Is this like the last time you couldn't sleep?" Brennan asked, her voice full of sleep. "Do you need me to listen as you speak? I can try to give you advice like you often give me."

Angela smiled and turned her head, brushing her lips against the top of the other woman's head. "You sure you're not going to fall asleep on me?" Angela asked with a smile.

"I cannot be certain that I won't, but I can try my best to stay awake."

"Okay." Angela let out a deep breath, speaking as she continued with her lazy strokes on Temperance's skin. "You know how we spend every night at either your apartment or here?"

The scientist nodded affirmatively, her answer coming out as an unintelligent mumble.

"As much as I like that, I kinda want more. I mean, I do want more."

"More?"

Angela sighed and closed her eyes. "I've always lived life in the moment, in the now. But with you it feels different. I don't think I've ever wanted to live with someone as much as I want to live with you. I like the idea of us sharing a home together, you know, instead of bouncing back and forth from one to the other."

"Angela," Temperance started, pulling back so their eyes met dimly lit room. "For centuries-"

"Honey, no," Angela whined. "Please, no anthropological mumbo jumbo; it's only a little after four in the morning. English is all I can try to understand. English."

Brennan smiled, wiping at the corner of her eyes. "I was only going to tell you that I find logic in what you're saying. While I can afford to pay rent at a place I don't necessary need, it wouldn't make any sense to do so. And I'm sure you can't afford to do that."

"You could have stopped at 'you're right, Angela'."

"But I never said you were right," Temperance countered, furrowing her brow.

Angela leaned over, smiling widely. "No, but you were just getting there."

"I was?"

Angela nodded as she moved over so she was straddling Brennan's wide hips. "Yes, right after I finished convincing you off all the reasons we should live together."

Brennan's eyes widened as Angela's hand slid between them, slipping under her shirt until her hand was fully on her breast. "Ooh," Brennan sighed, licking her lips.

Angela smirked and leaned down to Brennan's ear. "I guess you're starting to see some of the benefits."

"If you're implying that it will increase our sex life, I see your point."

Angela smiled. "That's just one of many reasons. So..."

"You're right," she said with a smile.

"Of course I am." Angela looked at Brennan and winked. "I love you, Bren," she whispered.

"I know. I love you, too."

The End

Thanks for reading!


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